Infect Immun, 2000 Jun, 68(6), 3657 - 66 An OmpA-like protein from Acinetobacter spp . stimulates gastrin and interleukin-8 promoters; Ofori-Darko E et al.; Bacterial overgrowth in the stomach may occur under conditions of diminished or absent acid secretion . Under these conditions, secretion of the hormone gastrin is elevated . Alternatively, bacterial factors may directly stimulate gastrin . Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that mice colonized for 2 months with a mixed bacterial culture of opportunistic pathogens showed an increase in serum gastrin . To examine regulation of gene expression by bacterial proteins, stable transformants of AGS cells expressing gastrin or interleukin-8 (IL-8) promoters were cocultured with live organisms . Both whole-cell sonicates and a heat-stable fraction were also coincubated with the cells . A level of 10(8) organisms per ml stimulated both the gastrin and IL-8 promoters . Heat-stable proteins prepared from these bacterial sonicates stimulated the promoter significantly more than the live organism or unheated sonicates . A 38-kDa heat-stable protein stimulating the gastrin and IL-8 promoters was cloned and found to be an OmpA-related protein . Immunoblotting using antibody to the OmpA-like protein identified an Acinetobacter sp . as the bacterial species that expressed this protein and colonized the mouse stomach . Moreover, reintubation of mice with a pure culture of the Acinetobacter sp . caused gastritis . We conclude that bacterial colonization of the stomach may increase serum gastrin levels in part through the ability of the bacteria to produce OmpA-like proteins that directly stimulate gastrin and IL-8 gene expression . These results implicate OmpA-secreting bacteria in the activation of gastrin gene expression and raise the possibility that a variety of organisms may contribute to the increase in serum gastrin and subsequent epithelial cell proliferation in the hypochlorhydric stomach. Epidemiol Infect, 2000 Apr, 124(2), 233 - 7 The stethoscope in the Emergency Department: a vector of infection? Nunez S, Moreno A, Green K, Villar J. The purposes of this study were to determine whether microorganisms can be isolated from the membranes of stethoscopes used by clinicians and nurses, and to analyse whether or not the degree of bacterial colonization could be reduced with different cleaning methods . We designed a transversal before-after study in which 122 stethoscopes were examined . Coagulase negative staphylococci (which are also potentially pathogenic microorganisms) were isolated together with 13 other potentially pathogenic microorganisms, including S . aureus, Acinetobacter sp . and Enterobacter agglomerans . The most effective antiseptic was propyl alcohol . Analysis of the cleaning habits of the Emergency Department (ED) staff, showed that 45% cleaned the stethoscope annually or never . The isolation of potentially pathogenic microorganisms suggests that the stethoscope must be considered as a potential vector of infection not only in the ED but also in other hospital wards and out-patient clinics. J Med Assoc Thai, 2000 Apr, 83(4), 392 - 7 Nosocomial pneumonia in a newborn intensive care unit; Petdachai W; Nosocomial pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients . The risk is especially high in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) particularly in infants with mechanically assisted ventilation . During the 5-year period of the study, 160 infants with problems including prematurity (60.6%), respiratory distress (55.6%) and birth asphyxia (45.0%) were admitted to the NICU . One hundred and thirty-three infants (83.1%) received mechanical ventilation . Nosocomial pneumonia was found in 65 infants (40.6%) or 88.3 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days . Low birth weight, prematurity, respiratory distress and hyperbilirubinemia were found more significantly in the pneumonia group . They underwent more manipulations such as the placement of an umbilical catheter and orogastric tube . Infants with pneumonia received mechanical ventilation at a higher percentage and for a longer period than those without pneumonia (96.9% vs 73.7%, odds ratio = 11.2, p = 0.000) with a mean duration of 11.7 and 3.5 days respectively (p = 0.000) . The etiologic organisms recovered from hemoculture were Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . anitratus 44.0 per cent, Enterobacter spp . 16.0 per cent, Klebsiella pneumoniae 16.0 per cent, coagulase-negative staphylococci 12.0 per cent . There was no concordance of the bacteriologic results in endotracheal aspirate culture and hemoculture in each infant . Leukocytosis and granulocytosis as well as blood gas values could not differentiate the presence of pneumonia . The mean hospital stay for the infants with pneumonia was longer (23.0 days vs 6.4 days, p = 0.000) . Nosocomial pneumonia did not only prolong hospital stay but also contributed to mortality . Twenty-seven (41.5%) of the infants with pneumonia died, compared with 46 (48.4%) of the other group without pneumonia (p = 0.422) . The risk of nosocomial pneumonia can be reduced by using infection control measures, including meticulous hand washing and gloving during respiratory manipulation, heat-treated water supply in a nebulizing unit of the ventilator and proper care of umbilical catheterization. Med Dosw Mikrobiol, 1999, 51(3-4), 221 - 32 {Studies on siderophore exchange properties between staphylococci and various species of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria}; Szarapinska-Kwaszewska J et al.; The ability of iron utilizing by means of staphylococcal siderophores by bacteria belonging to genera: Acinetobacter, Corynebacterium, Curtobacterium, Clavibacter, Bacillus and Mycobacterium was investigated . The staphylococcal donor strains (18 species) used in these experiments were characterized by the ability to utilize siderophores produced by various strains belonging to aforenamed genera . The utilization of staphylococcal siderophores was studied on agar media in which minimally effective concentrations of ethylenediaminedi-ortho-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (EDDA) were used to inhibit indicator strains . Test colonies (staphylococcal) were applied to the surface of the media to determine whether the indicator organisms could obtain the required iron for growth by utilizing chelators from the test colony . The growth inhibition by EDDA of most strains from the Acinetobacter rods and from the coryneform-organisms (plant pathogen) genera, and strains from the species: B . subtilis, M . phlei, M . smegmatis, M . fortuitum was reversed by staphylococcal siderophores . None of the staphylococcal strains investigated, had the ability to exchange siderophores with strains from the species: C . pseudodiphtheriticum, Corynebacterium ANF group, B . megaterium, M . vaccae, M . chitae and M . parafortuitum. Am J Surg, 2000 Feb, 179(2A Suppl), 2S - 7S Importance, morbidity, and mortality of pneumonia in the surgical intensive care unit; Barie PS; Surgical patients are at high risk to develop nosocomial pneumonia, although an accurate diagnosis is difficult to make . Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the most common pathogens, but Acinetobacteris emerging as an important pathogen . Because affected patients are often critically ill with multisystem pathology, it can be difficult to ascribe morbidity or mortality directly to the infection. Structure Fold Des, 2000 Apr 15, 8(4), 429 - 40 The 1.8 A crystal structure of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase reveals a novel hydrophobic helical zipper as a subunit linker; Vetting MW et al.; BACKGROUND: Intradiol dioxygenases catalyze the critical ring-cleavage step in the conversion of catecholate derivatives to citric acid cycle intermediates . Catechol 1,2-dioxygenases (1, 2-CTDs) have a rudimentary design structure - a homodimer with one catalytic non-heme ferric ion per monomer, that is (alphaFe(3+))(2) . This is in contrast to the archetypical intradiol dioxygenase protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (3,4-PCD), which forms more diverse oligomers, such as (alphabetaFe(3+))(2-12) . RESULTS: The crystal structure of 1,2-CTD from Acinetobacter sp . ADP1 (Ac 1,2-CTD) was solved by single isomorphous replacement and refined to 2.0 A resolution . The structures of the enzyme complexed with catechol and 4-methylcatechol were also determined at resolutions of 1.9 A and 1.8 A, respectively . While the characteristics of the iron ligands are similar, Ac 1,2-CTD differs from 3,4-PCDs in that only one subunit is used to fashion each active-site cavity . In addition, a novel 'helical zipper', consisting of five N-terminal helices from each subunit, forms the molecular dimer axis . Two phospholipids were unexpectedly found to bind within an 8 x 35 A hydrophobic tunnel along this axis . CONCLUSIONS: The helical zipper domain of Ac 1, 2-CTD has no equivalent in other proteins of known structure . Sequence analysis suggests the domain is a common motif in all members of the 1,2-CTD family . Complexes with catechol and 4-methylcatechol are the highest resolution complex structures to date of an intradiol dioxygenase . Furthermore, they confirm several observations seen in 3,4-PCDs, including ligand displacement upon binding exogenous ligands . The structures presented here are the first of a new family of intradiol dioxygenases. Arzneimittelforschung, 2000 Apr, 50(4), 387 - 90 Effect of meropenem on the vascular permeability factor produced by Acinetobacter baumannii; Hostacka A; Eleven Acinetobacter baumannii strains produced a toxic substance--the vascular permeability factor--in the culture medium . Intradermal injection of this substance enhanced vascular permeability in the rabbit skin . The extent of permeability reactions varied from 0.28 cm2 to 1.61 cm2 . Changes in the permeability factor activity of four A . baumannii strains after treatment with meropenem (CAS 96036-03-2) at suprainhibitory concentrations (2x, 4x or 8x) minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or supra-subinhibitory ones (2-8x MIC + 0.2x MIC) were tested in vitro . Meropenem at all suprainhibitory concentrations (with the exception of 8x MIC for one strain) was almost ineffective . Alterations in this activity were in the range of 93% to 106% of the control values . Supra-subinhibitory concentrations of meropenem significantly increased the permeability factor activity (to 150%-176% of the control values) . These findings indicate that meropenem mainly at supra-subinhibitory concentrations can in vitro interfere with the vascular permeability factor produced by A . baumannii. Braz J Infect Dis, 2000 Apr, 4(2), 91 - 9 Antimicrobial resistance in Brazil: comparison of results from two multicenter studies; Sader HS; To evaluate whether our previous study of the antimicrobial resistance patterns in three centers in Brazil represented the pattern in the country as a whole, the results were compared to new data on 855 isolates from 20 clinical laboratories and 36 hospitals located in different regions of Brazil . Both multicenter studies showed high rates of antimicrobial resistance among Gram-negative bacilli isolated in Brazilian hospitals with the most important problems being: 1) E.coli and K.pneumoniae that produce ESBL; 2) Enterobacter spp . which likely express chromosomally mediated (AmpC) stably derepressed cephalosporinases producing resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and broad spectrum penicillins; 3) carbapenem resistance among Acinetobacter spp . and P.aeruginosa; and 4) fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside resistance among many Gram-negative species . Our results emphasize the importance of regional antimicrobial resistance surveillance programs in guiding empirical therapy and for focusing intervention controls of antimicrobial resistance . Although the SENTRY Program has only three participating centers in Brazil, its results were validated by a larger Brazilian multicenter study. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2000 May, 37(1), 63 - 74 Frequency of occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns for pathogens isolated from latin american patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia: results from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program (1998); Lewis MT et al.; The correct empiric choice of antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of pneumonia in hospitalized patients has established itself as a major therapeutic challenge to clinicians . Selection of an inappropriate antimicrobial agent could lead to increased rates of mortality and morbidity . Characteristics of pathogens responsible for this infection such as species prevalence, overall antimicrobial resistance rates, and mechanisms of detected resistance could serve as an invaluable resource to clinicians in making such therapeutic selections . This report addresses the aforementioned problems/needs by analysis of 712 strains isolated from the lower respiratory tract of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of pneumonia in 10 Latin American medical centers in the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1998) . The four most frequently isolated pathogens (no/% of total) were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (191/26.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (171/24.0%), Klebsiella spp . (86/12.1%), and Acinetobacter spp . (75/10.5%); representing nearly 75.0% of all isolates . More than 40 antimicrobial agents (23 reported) were tested against these isolates by reference broth microdilution methodology, and susceptibility profiles were established . The nonfermentative Gram-negative bacteria (P . aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp.) exhibited high levels of resistance to the agents tested . Amikacin (77.5% susceptible) was the most active drug tested against P . aeruginosa 50.0% against the Acinetobacter spp . isolates . Based on published interpretive criteria, over 22.0% of the Klebsiella spp . and 12.5% of the Escherichia coli were classified as extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers . Of the cephalosporin class compounds tested against the Klebsiella spp . and E . coli isolates, cefepime demonstrated the highest rates of susceptibility (84.9% and 91.7%, respectively) . This compound also fared well against the Enterobacter spp . isolates, inhibiting 88.2% of the isolates tested, many of which were resistant to ceftazidime and ceftriaxone . Resistance to oxacillin among the S . aureus isolates was nearly 50 . 0%, with vancomycin, teicoplanin, and the streptogramin combination quinupristin/dalfopristin inhibiting all isolates . Several clusters of multiply resistant organisms were also observed, and further characterization by ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis established possible patient-to-patient spread . The results of this study indicate that rates of resistance among respiratory tract pathogens continue to rise in Latin America, with specific concerns for the high prevalence of nonfermentative Gram-negative bacteria isolated, oxacillin resistance rates in S . aureus, and the epidemic dissemination of multiply-resistant strains in several medical centers . International surveillance programs (SENTRY) should assist in the control of escalating antimicrobial resistance in this geographic area. J Appl Microbiol, 2000 Apr, 88(4), 711 - 9 Use of the MIDI-FAME technique to characterize groundwater communities; Glucksman AM et al.; Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were identified directly from groundwater microbial communities concentrated on and extracted with polycarbonate filters . The sensitivity of this direct extraction method was determined using pure cultures of Acinetobacter junii, Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia . A minimum concentration of 107 cells filter-1 was required to identify the predominant fatty acids from each culture . However, at least 3.7 x 109 cells filter-1 were required to obtain fatty acid profiles that matched the signature profiles for pure cultures in a commercial database . While several saturated fatty acids (i.e . 14 : 0, 16 : 0, 18 : 0) were extracted from the polycarbonate filters, they were readily subtracted from microbial fatty acid profiles and did not interfere with the characterization of pure cultures or environmental samples . For the environmental samples, 3 l of groundwater from the Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC, (USA) contained sufficient biomass for direct extraction . A comparative analysis of FAME groundwater profiles demonstrated a qualitative difference among communities sampled from spatially discrete locations, while a groundwater well that was sampled at two time points showed strong similarities over time . Concentration of microbial biomass on polycarbonate filters coupled with the MIDI-FAME extraction of both biomass and filter was a useful technique to characterize microbial communities from groundwater. Braz J Infect Dis, 2000 Feb, 4(1), 22 - 8 Comparative evaluation of the in vitro activity of three combinations of beta-lactams with beta-lactamase inhibitors: piperacillin/tazobactam, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid and ampicillin/sulbactam; Sader HS et al.; Recently, two new combinations of Beta-lactam antibiotics with Beta-lactamase inhibitors became commercially available in Brazil: piperacillin/tazobactam and ampicillin/sulbactam . This study was designed to assess and compare the in-vitro activity of these new compounds, as well as that of ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, against bacteria isolated in our environment . A total of 749 bacteria isolated at Sao Paulo Hospital were tested using the disk diffusion method, in compliance with NCCLS standardization, using strict quality control . Only one sample per patient was included in the study . Oxacillin-resistant staphylococcus samples were not included in this study . Of the total samples tested, 84.5% were susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam, 81.2% to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, and 77.6% to ampicillin/sulbactam . Piperacillin/tazobactam was also found to be the most active combination of the three against Enterobacteriaceae ( n = 312), inhibiting 91.7% of the bacteria tested . Ticarcillin/clavulanic acid was active against 85.8% of the Enterobacteriaceae, while ampicillin/sulbactam inhibited 83.2% of the samples . This order of the spectrum of action (piperacillin/tazobactam > ticarcillin/clavulanic acid >ampicillin/sulbactam )was maintained for the majority of Enterobacteriaceae species analyzed . Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( n = 117) showed extremely high resistance to the three combinations . Piperacillin/tazobactam was active against 61.5% of the samples, while ticarcillin/clavulanic acid was active against 56.4% of the samples of this species . The activity of ampicillin/sulbactam against P . aeruginosa was extremely low; however, this was the most active combination against Acinetobacter baumannii ( 87.0% susceptibility) . Piperacillin/tazobactam was the most active combination against Stenotrophomonas (Xanthomonas )maltophilia (100% susceptibility) and Burkholderia cepacia (90.9% susceptibility) . The three combinations showed excellent activity against the Gram-positive cocci tested (97.3% to 98.2% susceptibility) . In sum, piperacillin/tazobactam was more active against all Gram-negative species than the other two combinations, with the exception of A . baumannii, and showed similar activity against Gram-positive cocci. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2000 May, 66(5), 2045 - 51 In vitro ATP regeneration from polyphosphate and AMP by polyphosphate:AMP phosphotransferase and adenylate kinase from Acinetobacter johnsonii 210A; Resnick SM et al.; In vitro enzyme-based ATP regeneration systems are important for improving yields of ATP-dependent enzymatic reactions for preparative organic synthesis and biocatalysis . Several enzymatic ATP regeneration systems have been described but have some disadvantages . We report here on the use of polyphosphate:AMP phosphotransferase (PPT) from Acinetobacter johnsonii strain 210A in an ATP regeneration system based on the use of polyphosphate (polyP) and AMP as substrates . We have examined the substrate specificity of PPT and demonstrated ATP regeneration from AMP and polyP using firefly luciferase and hexokinase as model ATP-requiring enzymes . PPT catalyzes the reaction polyP(n) + AMP --> ADP + polyP(n-1) . The ADP can be converted to ATP by adenylate kinase (AdK) . Substrate specificity with nucleoside and 2'-deoxynucleoside monophosphates was examined using partially purified PPT by measuring the formation of nucleoside diphosphates with high-pressure liquid chromatography . AMP and 2'-dAMP were efficiently phosphorylated to ADP and 2'-dADP, respectively . GMP, UMP, CMP, and IMP were not converted to the corresponding diphosphates at significant rates . Sufficient AdK and PPT activity in A . johnsonii 210A cell extract allowed demonstration of polyP-dependent ATP regeneration using a firefly luciferase-based ATP assay . Bioluminescence from the luciferase reaction, which normally decays very rapidly, was sustained in the presence of A . johnsonii 210A cell extract, MgCl(2), polyP(n=35), and AMP . Similar reaction mixtures containing strain 210A cell extract or partially purified PPT, polyP, AMP, glucose, and hexokinase formed glucose 6-phosphate . The results indicate that PPT from A . johnsonii is specific for AMP and 2'-dAMP and catalyzes a key reaction in the cell-free regeneration of ATP from AMP and polyP . The PPT/AdK system provides an alternative to existing enzymatic ATP regeneration systems in which phosphoenolpyruvate and acetylphosphate serve as phosphoryl donors and has the advantage that AMP and polyP are stabile, inexpensive substrates. Prog Urol, 2000 Feb, 10(1), 89 - 91 {Emphysematous pyelonephritis in lithiasic kidney caused by acinetobacter}; Benchekroun A et al.; Emphysematous pyelonephritis is rare . It is exceptionally associated with urolithiasis with obstruction of the collecting system . It is generally observed in female diabetic patients . It is caused by gas-producing bacteria . We report a case in which emphysematous pyelonephritis was caused by an acinetobacter, associated with pelvic ureteral junction lithiasis . Drainage and nephrectomy were necessary to overcome this life threatening situation. J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health, 2000 Feb, 47(1), 37 - 46 Airborne gram-negative bacterial flora in animal houses; Zucker BA et al.; The concentration and the species composition of airborne gram-negative bacteria were studied in four cattle houses, one pig house and one poultry barn . On average only between 0.02 and 5.2% of the total number of culturable aerobic bacteria were identified as gram-negative bacteria . Obligate anaerobic gram-negative bacteria were not isolated at all . In the airborne gram-negative bacterial flora the following bacterial families dominated: the Enterobacteriaceae, the Pseudomonadaceae and the Neisseriaceae . Within the family of the Enterobacteriaceae the species Escherichia coli and Enterobacter agglomerans were predominant . In animal houses using straw as bedding material Ent . agglomerans was most frequent, whereas in animal houses without litter E . coli was mainly found . Airborne Neisseriaceae were isolated very frequently in cow barns with Acinetobacter lowffii as the primary species . Airborne Pseudomonadaceae were found in high concentrations during periods of high air humidity . The results presented may also give some indications on the origin and sources of airborne endotoxins in animal housing. J Assoc Physicians India, 1999 Oct, 47(10), 1020 - 1 Acinetobacter meningitis following head trauma; Venkataraman S et al.; A case of acinetobacter meningitis following head injury in a patient who developed cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea, and did not have any neurosurgical procedure, is presented . Previously reported cases are cited, with a review of the literature . Pefloxacin monotherapy is associated with a poor clinical response. J Hosp Infect, 2000 Apr, 44(4), 254 - 60 Use of RAPD-ALF analysis for investigating the frequency of bacterial cross-transmission in an adult intensive care unit; Webster CA et al.; Bacterial cross-transmission was investigated during a 12-month period in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) by the generation of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting profiles, combined with automated laser fluorescence (ALF) analysis . The potential episodes of cross-transmission identified, were compared with those detected by the conventional first-line screen of antibiogram typing . Over the year, 215 primary gram-negative bacterial isolates were obtained from 160 patients . In total, 22 possible episodes of cross-transmission, involving 70 (44%) of the 160 patients, were identified by RAPD-ALF analysis, and 19 of these were substantiated with epidemiological evidence . Conversely, 31 possible episodes were identified on the basis of antibiogram data, but only three of these episodes, two involving Acinetobacter baumannii and one involving Serratia marcescens, correlated with those identified by RAPD-ALF analysis . It was concluded that analysis of antibiogram data alone is an unreliable method for assessing bacterial cross-transmission, unless the organism involved has a particularly stable or unusual resistance pattern . In contrast, the technique of RAPD-ALF analysis may provide a rapid and simple technique for obtaining an insight into the population dynamics of gram-negative bacteria in adult ICUs . J Vet Intern Med, 2000 Mar-Apr, 14(2), 177 - 83 The role of Acinetobacter baumannii as a nosocomial pathogen for dogs and cats in an intensive care unit; Francey T et al.; Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen associated with high morbidity and mortality in humans . Whereas infections with strains of Acinetobacter species have been reported in various situations, the importance of A baumannii as a nosocomial pathogen in veterinary hospitals has not been studied so far . In this retrospective case series, we describe 17 dogs and 2 cats from which A baumannii had been isolated during a 2 1/2-year period . In 7 dogs, A baumannii induced systemic signs of illness, whereas 12 animals showed signs of local infection . In all animals with systemic infection, and in 2 with localized infection, A baumannii contributed to the death of the animal or contributed to euthanasia; the remaining 8 dogs and both cats recovered . Molecular typing of the isolates with restriction polymorphisms of ribosomal DNA provided evidence of nosocomial spread of this pathogen and for the presence of several strains of A baumannii in the hospital environment. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000 May, 44(5), 1229 - 35 Characterization of the metallo-beta-lactamase determinant of Acinetobacter baumannii AC-54/97 reveals the existence of bla(IMP) allelic variants carried by gene cassettes of different phylogeny; Riccio ML et al.; The metallo-beta-lactamase determinant of Acinetobacter baumannii AC-54/97, a clinical isolate from Italy that was previously shown to produce an enzyme related to IMP-1, was isolated by means of a PCR methodology which targets amplification of gene cassette arrays inserted into class 1 integrons . Sequencing revealed that this determinant was an allelic variant (named bla(IMP-2)) of bla(IMP) found in Japanese isolates and that it was divergent from the latter by 12% of its nucleotide sequence, which evidently had been acquired independently . Similar to bla(IMP), bla(IMP-2) was also carried by an integron-borne gene cassette . However, the 59-base element of the bla(IMP-2) cassette was unrelated to those of the bla(IMP) cassettes found in Japanese isolates, indicating a different phylogeny for the gene cassettes carrying the two allelic variants . Expression of the integron-borne bla(IMP-2) gene in Escherichia coli resulted in a significant decrease in susceptibility to a broad array of beta-lactams (ampicillin, carbenicillin, cephalothin, cefoxitin, ceftazidime, cefepime, and carbapenems) . The IMP-2 enzyme was purified from an Escherichia coli strain carrying the cloned determinant, and kinetic parameters were determined with several beta-lactam substrates . Compared to IMP-1, the kinetic parameters of IMP-2 were similar overall with some beta-lactam substrates (cefoxitin, ceftazidime, cefepime, and imipenem) but remarkably different with others (ampicillin, carbenicillin, cephaloridine, and meropenem), revealing a functional significance of at least some of the mutations that differentiate the two IMP variants . Present findings suggest that the environmental reservoir of bla(IMP) alleles could be widespread and raise a question about the global risk of their transfer to clinically relevant species. Antibiot Khimioter, 2000, 45(3), 15 - 9 {The structure and antibiotic sensitivity of the causative agents of community-acquired infectious diseases of bacterial origin in children}; Samsygina GA et al.; Four hundred and forty pediatric patients at the age of 7 days to 15 years with various infections admitted to the Hospital within a month were examined . The biological material was inoculated to blood agar on the first days of the patient admittance to the Hospital and after the growth the organisms were isolated and identified . Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was assayed with the disk diffusion method . 479 strains in all were tested . The most frequent cases requiring hospitalization and antibiotic therapy were those of respiratory tract infections (54.09 per cent), urinary tract infections (26.36 per cent), cutaneous and subcutaneous fat diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and others (about 25 per cent of the cases in all) . The main pathogens were Streptococcus viridans, S.aureus and S.epidermidis, as well as Enterobacteriaceae (chiefly E.coli) whose frequencies were practically equal (in 25-35 per cent of the cases) . The Pneumococcus isolates amounted to 6.3 per cent . Nonfermenting bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter) and some representatives of Enterobacteriaceae (Citrobacter, Serratia, Morganella) were isolated from 7 per cent of the patients . The frequency of Klebsiella and Enterobacter was about 11 per cent . The main pathogens were tested for their susceptibility to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, oxacillin and gentamicin . The least active antibiotic was ampicillin . 88.8 per cent of the E.coli isolates and 100 per cent of the Klebsiella, P.mirabilis, Morganella, Citrobacter, Enterobacter and Serratia isolates were resistant to it . 53.2 per cent of the Streptococcus isolates including 64.5 per cent of the Pneumococcus isolates were as well resistant to ampicillin . 59.5 per cent of the Streptococcus isolates (mainly S.viridans and Enterococcus) was susceptible to oxacillin, 22.2 per cent of them being moderately susceptible . 62.5 per cent of the Pneumococcus isolates and 78.1 per cent of the Staphylococcus isolates were also susceptible to oxacillin . The highest susceptibility of the isolates was that to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, i.e . 90.1 per cent of the strains, 79.9 per cent of them being highly susceptible . All the isolates of Citrobacter, Serratia and Morganella and some isolates of P.aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and E.coli were resistant to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid . As for the latter 5 organisms their susceptibility to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid was comparable with that to gentamicin . The susceptibility of the Streptococcus and Staphylococcus isolates to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid was significantly much higher than that to oxacillin, gentamicin and ampicillin: 93 per cent of the Streptococcus isolates (62.7 per cent of the Pneumococcus isolates) and 90.7 per cent of the Staphylococcus isolates. Arch Microbiol, 2000 Mar, 173(3), 220 - 8 comB, a novel competence gene required for natural transformation of Acinetobacter sp . BD413: identification, characterization, and analysis of growth-phase-dependent regulation; Herzberg C et al.; Here we describe five tandemly arranged and converging ORFs in Acinetobacter sp . BD413, namely lytB, orfY, orfX, comB, and orfZ, located upstream of the previously identified competence gene comC . The N-termini of the deduced proteins OrfY and ComB exhibit the conserved endopeptidase cleavage motifs of prepilin proteins; the deduced protein ComB is similar to type IV pilins . LytB is similar to the Escherichia coli LytB, which has been implicated in the stringent response . No homologues of OrfX, OrfY and OrfZ could be identified . A mutation in orfY or orfZ led to 100-fold reduced transformation frequencies and a mutation in comB resulted in a non-competent phenotype . Disruption of lytB did not affect the natural transformation phenotype . Complementation studies clearly demonstrated that comB is involved in natural transformation, whereas the transformation-deficient phenotypes of orfY and orfZ mutants were due to polar effects on comB and comC, respectively . Analyses of the twitching motility phenotype and of the ultrastructure of the noncompetent comB mutant suggested that the competence gene comB is not essential for the biogenesis of type IV pili and expression of the type IV pili-associated property of twitching motility . Transcriptional fusions between comB and a promoter-free lacZ gene were constructed, and analysis of growth-phase-dependent transcription revealed increased expression of comB during prolonged exponential and stationary phases. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi, 1999 Jul-Dec, 103(3-4), 158 - 60 {The clinical picture, treatment and prognosis of meningitis due to anaerobic and nonfermentative bacteria}; Luca C et al.; OBJECTIVES: The study of incidence, clinical manifestations and prognosis of meningitis with anaerobic and non-fermentative bacteria . MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of 10 patients with severe forms of purulent meningitis admitted in the Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Iasi, during 1.01.1990-31.12.1998 . RESULTS: 3 of them were diagnosed with etiology with polymicrobial flora and the rest had etiology with: Peptostreptococcus (2 cases), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (4 cases), Eikenella corrodens (1 case) . The majority were male sex (8 cases), and from rural area (9 cases) . The age of patients ranged from 2.5 to 59 years (the majority being adults of group of age 50-60 years) . The gate of entrance was: iatrogenic in the majority of cases (6 cases), posttraumatic (2 cases) and othogen (2 cases); 3 cases being with cerebrospinal fluid fistula and 8 patients being in coma . The factors associated with poor prognosis were: the immunosuppression (chronic etilism--4 cases; bronchopneumonia--2 cases, pulmonary cancer--1 case) and the presence of the focal neurological findings on the noser of illness . The diagnosis was established by clinical characters and confirmed by isolating germs from cerebrospinal fluid . The treatment was done at the beginning with first intervention antibiotic association with a high spectrum and then according to the antibiogramme . The evolution was severe even under treatment with 3 deaths, the mortality being of 30.0% . CONCLUSIONS: We wished to present these cases as a general remark on the severity of illness, generally appeared on a suppressed ground, together with the rarity of those germs implicated in the etiology of purulent meningitis. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2000 Apr 15, 185(2), 151 - 6 Effect of Mg(2+) ion in protein secretion by magnesium-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from the coastal water of Haldia port; Bhattacharya M et al.; A rapidly growing industrial complex including oil refineries and chemical industries has developed around the coastal area of Haldia port in the district of Midnapore, West Bengal, India . The coastal water is highly polluted with industrial wastes along with petroleum hydrocarbons . The bacteria isolated from the different sites of the coastal waters were Escherichia coli, Alcaligenes, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella spp., Micrococcus spp., Vibrio spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio parahaemolyticus . The salinity of the water during the time of collection of samples around the port area was 8 . 2 ppt . Among the isolated organisms, only two isolates, P . aeruginosa and V . parahaemolyticus, showed growth at 300 mM Mg(2+) ion concentration . However, a 3 mM Mg(2+) concentration was detected in the coastal water whereas other metal ion concentrations were less than 3x10(-5) mM . Resistance to Mg(2+) (300 mM) was determined by a 5.5-kb plasmid . A large amount of a 40-kDa outer membrane protein, which was highly soluble in 1 M MgCl(2), was isolated from both V . parahaemolyticus and P . aeruginosa . The secretion of proteins in the culture supernatant of V . parahaemolyticus was highly increased when the cells were grown in the presence of 300 mM Mg(2+), whereas very low secretion was observed in the same concentration of Mg(2+) in the case of P . aeruginosa . Mg(2+) may act as a specific release factor in protein secretion by V . parahaemolyticus strains. East Afr Med J, 1999 May, 76(5), 243 - 6 In vitro susceptibility of gram-negative bacterial isolates to chlorhexidine gluconate; Mengistu Y et al.; OBJECTIVE: To investigate the susceptibility of clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria to chlorhexidine gluconate . DESIGN: Prospective laboratory study . SETTING: Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia . SUBJECTS: Clinical specimens from 443 hospital patients . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Significant number of gram negative bacteria were not inhibited by chlorhexidine gluconate (0.02-0.05%) used for antisepsis . RESULTS: Four hundred and forty three strains of gram-negative bacteria were isolated from Tikur Anbessa Hospital patients . Escherichia coli (31.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (23%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria followed by Proteus species (13.3%), Pseudomonas species (9.2%), and Citrobacter species (6.1%) . Each organism was tested to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.0001% to 1%w/v . All Salmonella species and E . coli were inhibited by CHG, MIC < or = 0.01% . Twenty nine per cent of Acinetobacter, 28% of K . pneumoniae and Enterobacter species and 19-25% of Pseudomonas, Proteus and Providencia species were only inhibited at high concentrations of CHG (> or = 0.1%) . CONCLUSION: Our results showed that a significant number of the gram-negative bacterial isolates were not inhibited by CHG at the concentration used for disinfection of wounds or instruments (MIC 0.02-0.05% w/v) . It is therefore important to select appropriate concentration of this disinfectant and rationally use it for disinfection and hospital hygiene . Continuing follow up and surveillance is also needed to detect resistant bacteria to chlorhexidine or other disinfectants in time. Med Pregl, 1999 Nov-Dec, 52(11-12), 475 - 83 The frequency, characteristics and outcome of infections in patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemias; Savic A et al.; A retrospective study was conducted in 91 patients treated at the Clinic of Hematology in Novi Sad in the period January 1, 1994,-November 15, 1997 . The frequency, types, characteristics and outcome of infections were examined . The causative microorganism was determined in 65% of 133 febrile episodes, in 55% Gram-negative bacteria, 39% Gram-positive bacteria and in 6% fungi . Gram-negative bacteria were causative microorganisms in 80% of pneumonia . 77% of skin infections and 93% of urinary infections . Gram-positive bacteria were causative microorganisms in 53% of sepsis, Gram-negative in 41% of sepsis and Candida in 6% . The significant resistance to antibiotics was present in 47% of Gram-negative sepsis (causative microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species) and in 18% of Gram-positive sepsis (susceptibility to imipenem only in Gram-negative sepsis and susceptibility to vankomycin in Gram-positive sepsis) . Infections were the cause of death in 62.8% of patients. Ceska Slov Farm, 1999 Nov, 48(6), 272 - 5 {In vitro effect of quinolones on the hydrophobicity of Acinetobacter baumannii}; Hostacka A; Effects of subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) (1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32 of the MICs) of four quinolone antibiotics on surface hydrophobicity of two Acinetobacter baumannii strains (R1 and R2) were tested . Hydrophobicity was evaluated by adherence of bacteria to xylene and their aggregation in ammonium sulphate solutions . Norfloxacin in concentrations of 1/4 or 1/8 of the MIC decreased hydrophobicity of R1 strain and of R2 strain in concentration of 1/16 of the MIC . Ciprofloxacin was efficient for both strains mainly in concentration of 1/4 of their MICs . Enoxacin (1/8 MIC) more effectively reduced hydrophobic properties only in R2 strain . The other concentrations of the above-mentioned antibiotics as well as all tested concentrations of pefloxacin practically did not affect bacterial surface hydrophobicity. J Antimicrob Chemother, 2000 Apr, 45(4), 493 - 501 Imipenem, doxycycline and amikacin in monotherapy and in combination in Acinetobacter baumannii experimental pneumonia; Rodriguez-Hernandez MJ et al.; Acinetobacter baumannii is a common cause of nosocomial pneumonia and other nosocomial infections . Multiresistant A . baumannii has also a high prevalence, which can make effective treatment difficult . We designed a new model of A . baumannii experimental pneumonia using C57BL/6 immunocompetent mice . This model was used to compare the efficacy of imipenem, doxycycline and amikacin in monotherapy, and the combination of imipenem plus amikacin and doxycycline plus amikacin . Doxycycline plus amikacin were synergic in vitro after 24 h incubation, whereas imipenem plus amikacin showed no in vitro synergy . The number of sterile lungs and the lung clearance of A . baumannii were greater in the group treated with imipenem than in those treated with amikacin or doxycycline in monotherapy (P < 0.05) . The combination of imipenem plus amikacin and doxycycline plus amikacin was no more effective than imipenem alone in the clearance of organisms from lungs (2.42 +/- 1.46 cfu/g versus 2.7 +/- 1.5 cfu/g versus 1.23 +/- 1.02 cfu/g) . These results suggest that the addition of amikacin does not improve the results obtained by imipenem monotherapy . Doxycycline plus amikacin is an alternative to imipenem in the therapy of A . baumannii pneumonia. J Antimicrob Chemother, 2000 Apr, 45(4), 437 - 46 In vitro antibacterial spectrum of a new broad-spectrum 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone, gatifloxacin; Fung-Tomc J et al.; The in vitro antibacterial spectrum of gatifloxacin was compared with those of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin . Gatifloxacin was two- to four-fold more potent than comparator quinolones against staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci and enterococci (gatifloxacin MIC90s, < or =1 mg/L, except 4 mg/L against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium) . Gatifloxacin was two-fold less potent than ciprofloxacin, and the same as or two-fold more potent than ofloxacin against Enterobacteriaceae (MIC90s, 0.06-0.5 mg/L against most members of the Enterobacteriaceae and < or =1 mg/L against Proteus/Morganella spp.) . Relative to the comparator quinolones, gatifloxacin was two- to four-fold more potent against Providencia spp., and had good potency against Acinetobacter spp . (MIC90s, 0.25-1 mg/L) . Gatifloxacin and ofloxacin had similar anti-pseudomonal potency, with corresponding MIC90s of 4, 8 and 0.25 mg/L for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas stutzeri, while ciprofloxacin had two- to eight-fold more potency . The three quinolones were equipotent against Burkholderia cepacia (MIC90s, 8 mg/L), but gatifloxacin was two-fold more potent against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (MIC90, 4 mg/L) . Gatifloxacin was highly potent (MIC90s, 0.03-0.06 mg/L) against Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella spp., Helicobacter pylori and had at least eight-fold better anti-chlamydial and anti-mycoplasma potency (gatifloxacin MIC90s, 0.13 mg/L) . The higher quinolone MICs for ureaplasma (MIC90s, 4-8 mg/L) may be due to the acidic pH of the ureaplasma test medium, which antagonizes quinolones . Like other quinolones, gatifloxacin had poor potency against Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, though it was eight- to 16-fold more potent against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC90, 0.25 mg/L) . Of the three quinolones, only gatifloxacin had activity against Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium difficile . In summary, gatifloxacin is a broad-spectrum 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone that is more potent than ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin against Gram-positive bacteria, chlamydia, mycoplasma, mycobacteria and anaerobes. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2000 Jan, 36(1), 19 - 36 Antimicrobial activity and spectrum of the new glycylcycline, GAR-936 tested against 1,203 recent clinical bacterial isolates; Gales AC et al.; The in vitro activity of GAR-936, a new semisynthetic glycylcycline, was evaluated in comparison with two tetracyclines and several other antimicrobial agents . A total of 1,203 recent clinical isolates were tested by reference broth or agar dilution methods . Among the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, GAR-936 was generally two- to four-fold more active than minocycline, and two- to 16-fold more active than tetracycline . All enteric bacilli MIC90 results were < or = 4 microg/mL; the exception being Proteus mirabilis and indole-positive Proteae (> or = 8 microg/mL) . GAR-936 demonstrated excellent activity against all gram-positive cocci with 90% of the penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates inhibited at 0.03 microg/ml, while the same isolates had a MIC90 of 8 and > 8 microg/mL for minocycline and tetracycline, respectively . All Enterococcus spp., including vancomycin-resistant isolates, were inhibited at 0.25 microg/mL of GAR-936 (MIC90, 0.12 or 0.25 microg/mL) . Although GAR-936 (MIC50, 0.25 microg/mL) was two-fold less active than minocycline (MIC50, 0.12 microg/mL) against oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, all isolates were inhibited at < or = 0.25 microg/mL . GAR-936 demonstrated good activity against nonfermentative bacteria such as Acinetobacter spp . (MIC90, 2 microg/ml) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (MIC90, 4 microg/mL), but the compound exhibited only modest activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC50, 8 microg/mL) . Haemophilus influenzae (MIC90, 1-2 microg/mL), Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC90, 0.12 microg/mL), and various Neisseria spp . (MIC90, 0.12-0.5 microg/mL) were susceptible to GAR-936 . These results indicate that GAR-936 has potent in vitro activity against a wide range of clinically important pathogenic bacteria, and that several gram-positive and -negative isolates resistant to older tetracyclines and other drug classes remain susceptible to GAR-936, the newest glycylcycline candidate for clinical use. Acta Univ Palacki Olomuc Fac Med, 1999, 142, 73 - 7 Characteristics of Acinetobacter strains (phenotype classification, antibiotic susceptibility and production of beta-lactamases) isolated from haemocultures from patients at the Teaching Hospital in Olomouc; Hejnar P et al.; A total of 85 strains of the genus Acinetobacter were isolated from haemocultures at the Institute of Microbiology of the Teaching Hospital in Olomouc over the period January 1993 to June 1997 . Sixty-two (73.0%) strains of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex (Acb complex) were the most frequent . In 3 (3.5%) strains it was impossible to decide whether they belonged to the Acb complex . Other acinetobacter species were represented by 20 (23.5%) strains . The greatest amount (28.2%) of these strains was collected from the Clinic of Internal Medicine . Leukemias, lymphomas and myelodysplastic syndromes were the most frequent clinical diagnoses (20.0%) of the patients with a positive haemoculture . The most effective antimicrobial preparations tested were as follows: meropenem (98.8% of susceptible strains), colistin (94.1%), quinolones (90.6-94.1% according to the type of agent) and amikacin (91.8%) . The Acb complex strains were less susceptible to antimicrobial agents than other acinetobacters . Production of inductive chromosomal beta-lactamases AmpC was proved in 42 (49.4%) strains whilst no occurrence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) in the isolated organisms was recorded. Acta Chir Plast, 1999, 41(4), 112 - 6 Changing pattern of infection in the Bratislava Burn Center; Koller J et al.; Infection still remains one of the major problems in burn treatment . The authors investigated the occurrence of burn wound pathogens in burn wound biopsies and/or semiquantitative wound surface off-prints . As the results have shown, trends of a decreased contribution of "classical pathogens", like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to burn wound infections were observed . The role of "other pathogens", like Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, etc., which were quite rare in the past, is on the opposite, increasing . One of the explanations can be the increasing rate of early surgical treatment methods of deep burns . The results were in accordance with similar studies from other burn centres. J Microbiol Methods, 2000 Mar, 40(1), 67 - 77 Flow cytometric techniques to characterise physiological states of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Muller S et al.; Monitoring biotechnological processes involves acquiring information about key metabolic events and, ideally, single cell states should be determined to obtain comprehensive data on the physiological status of the surveyed population . In this paper, growth stages of the strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 69-V were characterised at the single cell level using flow cytometry . Four methods for analysing bacterial cellular characteristics by fluorescence were compared with respect to their sensitivity to changes in the physiological states induced by changing micro-environmental conditions . DNA analysis was confirmed to be highly informative with regard to the multiplication activity of the population . Measuring the membrane potential related fluorescence intensity (MPRFI) and the rRNA content were found to be useful for describing high-active cell states . A method for the measurement of the fluidity related fluorescence intensity (FRFI) was developed, since it allowed changes in the fluidity of the bacterial membrane to be detected, and thereby provided a valuable means of tracking adaptation of the population to micro-environmental deviations from optimal growth conditions. Infect Dis Clin North Am, 2000 Mar, 14(1), 67 - 81, viii Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents in Latin America . The giant is awakening; Guzman-Blanco M et al.; Resistant bacteria are emerging in Latin America as a real threat to the favorable outcome of infections in community- and hospital-acquired infections . Despite present extensive surveillance, healthcare workers who most need the information may be unaware of this growing problem . Outbreaks of meningococci with diminished susceptibility to penicillin have been reported in the region; a constant increase of resistance to penicillin in pneumococci and poor activity of commonly used oral antibiotics for the treatment of community-acquired urinary tract infections have made the treatment of these infections more difficult . Reports from tertiary hospitals are similar to many other areas of the world, with increasing frequency of Klebsiella pneumoniae-carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, multiresistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanni in ICU settings, and reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci . A surveillance network readily accessible to those who prescribe antibiotics in Latin America is highly desirable. Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung, 2000, 47(1), 15 - 20 Effect of aminoglycosides on surface hydrophobicity of Acinetobacter baumannii; Hostacka A; Effects of amikacin, gentamicin, netilmicin and tobramycin at subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) (11/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32 of their MICs) on the cell surface hydrophobicity of two Acinetobacter baumannii strains (7194 and 16265) were evaluated . Hydrophobicity was determined by two different methods - by adherence of bacteria to hydrocarbon (xylene) and by aggregation of bacteria in ammonium sulphate solutions at various concentrations . The adherence of A . baumannii strains to xylene decreased, mainly, after treatment with netilmicin at 1/4, 1/8 or 1/16 of the MIC (to 6.4%, 17.0% or 24.5% of the control value) (strain 7194) and after treatment with amikacin and gentamicin at 1/4 of their MICs (to 58.4% or 54.4%) (strain 16265) . A decrease in surface hydrophobicity of exposed strains under these conditions was shown in salting-out test, too . Tobramycin reduced hydrophobic properties of A . baumannii strains at all tested sub-MICs to only a small extent. Int J Antimicrob Agents, 2000 Jan, 13(3), 175 - 82 Outer-membrane proteins pattern and detection of beta-lactamases in clinical isolates of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from Brazil; Costa SF et al.; In order to compare imipenem-sensitive and -resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from three patients, ribotyping, plasmid, beta-lactamase detection and outer-membrane analysis were performed . Ribotyping and the use of a beta-lactam during the period when the strains were isolated suggested that they had a common origin and that resistance occurred in vivo . Outer membrane analysis showed no difference between susceptible and resistant strains with the exception of an A2 imipenem-resistant strain that lost a protein band of 31-36 kDa . Beta-lactamases were detected using isoelectric focusing in all strains (pI of 7.4) . In addition, two beta-lactamases (pI of 5.9 and 6.7) were found in imipenem-resistant isolates . The double-disc technique demonstrated the presence of a beta-lactamase capable of imipenem inactivation in resistant strains . Plasmid analysis showed that all susceptible strains had the same pattern, one resistant strain did not have any plasmid, one had the same plasmid pattern of its susceptible pair and only one had a different pattern when compared with its susceptible pair. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000 Apr, 44(4), 1070 - 4 Nucleotide sequence of the bla(RTG-2) (CARB-5) gene and phylogeny of a new group of carbenicillinases; Choury D et al.; We determined the nucleotide sequence of the bla gene for the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus beta-lactamase previously described as CARB-5 . Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence with those of known beta-lactamases revealed that CARB-5 possesses an RTG triad in box VII, as described for the Proteus mirabilis GN79 enzyme, instead of the RSG consensus characteristic of the other carbenicillinases . Phylogenetic studies showed that these RTG enzymes constitute a new, separate group, possibly ancestors of the carbenicillinase family. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000 Apr, 44(4), 1035 - 40 In vitro activities of nontraditional antimicrobials against multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated in an intensive care unit outbreak; Appleman MD et al.; Fifteen multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from patients in intensive care units and 14 nonoutbreak strains were tested to determine in vitro activities of nontraditional antimicrobials, including cefepime, meropenem, netilmicin, azithromycin, doxycycline, rifampin, sulbactam, and trovafloxacin . The latter five drugs were further tested against four of the strains for bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity by performing kill-curve studies at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 times their MICs . In addition, novel combinations of drugs with sulbactam were examined for synergistic interactions by using a checkerboard configuration . MICs at which 90% of the isolates tested were inhibited for antimicrobials showing activity against the multiresistant A . baumannii strains were as follows (in parentheses): doxycycline (1 microg/ml), azithromycin (4 microg/ml), netilmicin (1 microg/ml), rifampin (8 microg/ml), polymyxin (0.8 U/ml), meropenem (4 microg/ml), trovafloxacin (4 microg/ml), and sulbactam (8 microg/ml) . In the kill-curve studies, azithromycin and rifampin were rapidly bactericidal while sulbactam was more slowly bactericidal . Trovafloxacin and doxycycline were bacteriostatic . None of the antimicrobials tested were bactericidal against all strains tested . The synergy studies demonstrated that the combinations of sulbactam with azithromycin, rifampin, doxycycline, or trovafloxacin were generally additive or indifferent. Clin Infect Dis, 2000 Mar, 30(3), 454 - 60 Antimicrobial susceptibility and frequency of occurrence of clinical blood isolates in Europe from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program, 1997 and 1998; Fluit AC et al.; As part of the European arm of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 25 European university hospitals referred 9613 blood isolates for in vitro testing against >20 antimicrobial agents . Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the 5 most frequent isolates and accounted for two-thirds of all referrals, with minor regional variation . Of these, approximately 0.36% of E . coli and 16.7% of K . pneumoniae isolates proved to be potential extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers, and their incidence clearly varied regionally . Quinolone resistance was detected among gram-negative species; in particular, P . aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species . Considerable regional variation was observed in the incidences of methicillin resistance in S . aureus and penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae . The incidence of vancomycin resistance in enterococci was relatively low overall and primarily associated with Enterococcus faecium . However, extrapolation of these data to smaller and nonteaching hospitals should be undertaken with caution, since resistance rates may be lower in these facilities. J Chemother, 1999 Dec, 11(6), 518 - 23 Emerging antimicrobial resistance in the surgical compromised host; Wilson AP; Improvements in the treatment of compromised patients have resulted in their prolonged survival in a debilitated state . Patients have repeated courses of antibiotics and become colonised with multiresistant pathogens during a stay in the intensive care unit . Surgical wound infections can then be very difficult to treat . Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is now common although wide variations in prevalence exist between countries and regions . Klebsiella spp with multiple resistance is a common cause of septicemia and can be associated with cephalosporin use . Acinetobacter spp and vancomycin-resistant enterococci can cause infections resistant to all readily available antibiotics . The prevalence of infection with each of these pathogens is increasing . Control measures should include hand washing, universal precautions for infection control, source isolation, restrictive antibiotic policy and antibiotic rotation . Although new agents currently in trials may be effective in the long term, the future for antibiotic treatment or prophylaxis of surgical infections is in doubt. FEMS Microbiol Ecol, 2000 Mar 1, 31(3), 195 - 205 Three types of phenol and p-cresol catabolism in phenol- and p-cresol-degrading bacteria isolated from river water continuously polluted with phenolic compounds; Heinaru E et al.; A total of 39 phenol- and p-cresol-degraders isolated from the river water continuously polluted with phenolic compounds of oil shale leachate were studied . Species identification by BIOLOG GN analysis revealed 21 strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens (4, 8 and 9 of biotypes A, C and G, respectively), 12 of Pseudomonas mendocina, four of Pseudomonas putida biotype A1, one of Pseudomonas corrugata and one of Acinetobacter genospecies 15 . Computer-assisted analysis of rep-PCR fingerprints clustered the strains into groups with good concordance with the BIOLOG GN data . Three main catabolic types of degradation of phenol and p-cresol were revealed . Type I, or meta-meta type (15 strains), was characterized by meta cleavage of catechol by catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) during the growth on phenol and p-cresol . These strains carried C23O genes which gave PCR products with specific xylE-gene primers . Type II, or ortho-ortho type (13 strains), was characterized by the degradation of phenol through ortho fission of catechol by catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12O) and p-cresol via ortho cleavage of protocatechuic acid by protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (PC34O) . These strains carried phenol monooxygenase gene which gave PCR products with pheA-gene primers . Type III, or meta-ortho type (11 strains), was characterized by the degradation of phenol by C23O and p-cresol via the protocatechuate ortho pathway by the induction of PC34O and this carried C23O genes which gave PCR products with C23O-gene primers, but not with specific xylE-gene primers . In type III strains phenol also induced the p-cresol protocatechuate pathway, as revealed by the induction of p-cresol methylhydroxylase . These results demonstrate multiplicity of catabolic types of degradation of phenol and p-cresol and the existence of characteristic assemblages of species and specific genotypes among the strains isolated from the polluted river water. J Food Prot, 2000 Mar, 63(3), 315 - 21 Psychrobacters and related bacteria in freshwater fish; Gonzalez CJ et al.; Three phenotypic identification systems were employed to identify 106 strains of gram-negative, nonmotile, aerobic bacteria obtained during iced storage of wild (Salmo trutta and Esox lucius) and farmed (Oncorhynchus mykiss) freshwater fish . Using diagnostic tables and computer-assisted identification, the isolates were Psychrobacter (64 strains), Acinetobacter (24 strains), Moraxella (6 strains), Chryseobacterium (5 strains), Myroides odoratus (2 strains), Flavobacterium (1 strain), Empedobacter (1 strain), and unidentified (3 strains) . Overall similarities of all strains were determined for 108 characters by numerical analysis (simple matching coefficient of similarity {S} and clustering by unweighted pair group average linkage {UPGMA}) . At the 77% similarity level, 92 strains formed nine major clusters (3 or more strains) and four small clusters (2 strains) . Cluster 1 (25 isolates divided into two main subclusters) could be assigned to Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus, clusters 2 and 3 (26 isolates) were designated as Psychrobacter immobilis, and clusters 4 (3 isolates) and 7 (4 isolates) were identified as Psychrobacter urativorans and Psychrobacter spp., respectively . Clusters 5 (five isolates), 6 (three isolates), and 9 (five isolates) were labeled as Acinetobacter spp., Acinetobacter johnsonii, and Acinetobacter lwoffii, respectively . Cluster 8 (12 isolates), with a high resemblance to Thornley's phenon 4 (a heterogeneous group of bacteria isolated from poultry and related to Acinetobacter), remained unnamed . The restriction pattern was identical for strains grouped into clusters 2 and 3 (P . immobilis) but was different for the remaining Psychrobacter isolates . A large proportion of isolates belonging to the family Moraxellaceae were closely related . Psychrobacters and A . johnsonii were present in freshly caught fish and river water . In the latter stages of storage, P . phenylpyruvicus and acinetobacters tended to decrease, whereas P . immobilis increased. J Bacteriol, 2000 Apr, 182(7), 2018 - 25 sal genes determining the catabolism of salicylate esters are part of a supraoperonic cluster of catabolic genes in Acinetobacter sp . strain ADP1; Jones RM et al.; A 5-kbp region upstream of the are-ben-cat genes was cloned from Acinetobacter sp . strain ADP1, extending the supraoperonic cluster of catabolic genes to 30 kbp . Four open reading frames, salA, salR, salE, and salD, were identified from the nucleotide sequence . Reverse transcription-PCR studies suggested that these open reading frames are organized into two convergent transcription units, salAR and salDE . The salE gene, encoding a protein of 239 residues, was ligated into expression vector pET5a . Its product, SalE, was shown to have esterase activity against short-chain alkyl esters of 4-nitrophenol but was also able to hydrolyze ethyl salicylate to ethanol and salicylic acid . A mutant of ADP1 with a Km(r) cassette introduced into salE had lost the ability to utilize only ethyl and methyl salicylates of the esters tested as sole carbon sources, and no esterase activity against ethyl salicylate could be detected in cell extracts . SalE was induced during growth on ethyl salicylate but not during growth on salicylate itself . salD encoded a protein of undetermined function with homologies to the Escherichia coli FadL membrane protein, which is involved in facilitating fatty acid transport, and a number of other proteins detected during aromatic catabolism, which may also function in hydrocarbon transport or uptake processes . A Km(r) cassette insertion in salD deleteriously affected cell growth and viability . The salA and salR gene products closely resemble two Pseudomonas proteins, NahG and NahR, respectively encoding salicylate hydroxylase and the LysR family regulator of both salicylate and naphthalene catabolism . salA was cloned into pUC18 together with salR and salE, and its gene product showed salicylate-inducible hydroxylase activity against a range of substituted salicylates, with the same relative specific activities as found in wild-type ADP1 grown on salicylate . Mutations involving insertion of Km(r) cassettes into salA and salR eliminated expression of salicylate hydroxylase activity and the ability to grow on either salicylate or ethyl salicylate . Studies of mutants with disruptions of genes of the beta-ketoadipate pathway with or without an additional salE mutation confirmed that ethyl salicylate and salicylate were channeled into the beta-ketoadipate pathway at the level of catechol and thence dissimilated by the cat gene products . SalR appeared to regulate expression of salA but not salE. Zentralbl Bakteriol, 2000 Jan, 289(8), 787 - 95 Examination of polyclonal rabbit immune sera against serovars of Acinetobacter baumannii and genospecies 3 for cross-reactions with reference strains of other named/unnamed genospecies of Acinetobacter; Traub WH; Polyclonal rabbit immune sera against 38 serovars of Acinetobacter baumannii and genospecies 13 capable of growth at 44 degrees C and against 26 serovars of genospecies 3 and genospecies 13 incapable of growth at 44 degrees C were examined for serological cross-reactivity with reference strains comprising 17 genospecies (among them 6 named species) of Acinetobacter . Checkerboard agglutination tests yielded very few cross-reactions . Specifically, genospecies 17 cross-reacted weakly with A . baumannii serovar 27; strains genospecies 13 (Bouvet), TU 14, and 'close to TU 13' were strongly agglutinated by antiserum against A . baumannii serovar 18 . Genospecies 14 (Bouvet) yielded a very weak cross-reaction with genospecies 3 serovar 20, and genospecies TU 13 reacted weakly with anti-genospecies 3 serovar 15 serum . The 'between genospecies 1 and 3' reference strain proved to be A . baumannii serovar 5 as determined with absorption tests. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2000 Feb, 36(2), 107 - 12 High prevalence of antibiotic resistance of common pathogenic bacteria in Taiwan . The Antibiotic Resistance Study Group of the Infectious Disease Society of the Republic of China; Chang SC et al.; We analyzed the antimicrobial susceptibilities of all clinical isolates of 14 common pathogenic bacteria recovered from patients in eight medical centers in Taiwan during 1995 and 1996 . Susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents was tested by the disk diffusion method as recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards . Of the Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 59.3% and 62% were oxacillin-resistant in 1995 and 1996, respectively, whereas 63.2% of the coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates during the study period were oxacillin-resistant . The rate of penicillin-resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates was 39.7% in 1995 and 53.7% in 1996 . Macrolide-resistance was found in 71.4%, 42.1%, and 46.7% of S . pneumoniae, beta-hemolytic streptococci, and viridans streptococci, respectively, in 1996 . Less than 2% of the enterococcal isolates were vancomycin resistant, but 77% of them were gentamicin resistant . Resistance to gentamicin was also common in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii . Various degrees of resistance to ampicillin, piperacillin, cephalosporins, aztreonam, and ciprofloxacin were detected in Enterobacteriaceae, P . aeruginosa, and A . baumannii . More than 55% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates were ampicillin resistant . In summary, resistance to many antimicrobial agents in various common pathogenic bacteria is very common in Taiwan . Our results implicate that antibiotic resistance in the developing countries need to be monitored closely. Am J Ophthalmol, 2000 Mar, 129(3), 388 - 90 Postoperative endophthalmitis caused by sequestered Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Gopal L et al.; PURPOSE:To describe postoperative endophthalmitis caused by sequestered Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.METHOD:Case report . A 40-year-old woman developed recurrence of inflammation after extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation . At last recurrence, the capsular bag was studded with white deposits . Intraocular lens was removed along with capsular bag during pars plana vitrectomy.RESULTS:The capsular bag, when cultured, grew A calcoaceticus . The media remained clear with no evidence of recurrence of infection over a 3-month follow-up . CONCLUSION:Postoperative endophthalmitis similar to that caused by sequestered Propionibacterium acnes can be caused by A calcoaceticus. J Postgrad Med, 1998 Jan-Mar, 44(1), 7 - 13 Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in catheter related nosocomial infections; Tullu MS et al.; This prospective study was carried out over a period of 6 months in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital . The aim of the study was to determine the organisms causing catheter related nosocomial infections in the PICU and to study their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern . Patients with endotracheal intubation, indwelling urinary catheters and central venous catheters (CVC)/venous cutdown catheters were included in the study . Colonization of the endotracheal tube, urinary catheter related infections (UCRI) and colonization of the CVC/venous cutdown catheters was studied . E . coli was the commonest organism colonizing the endotracheal tube tip with maximum susceptibility to cefotaxime and amikacin . E . coli was also was the commonest organism causing UCRI with maximum susceptibility to nitrofurantoin and amikacin . Acinetobacter was the commonest organism colonizing the CVC/venous cutdown catheters with maximum susceptibility to ciprofloxacin . All these sites of catheter related infections considered together, E . coli and Klebsiella were the commonest nosocomial organisms . Both had maximum susceptibility to amikacin . Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated only from one culture . All the organisms had a poor susceptibility to cefazolin and amoxycillin . A knowledge of the resident microbial flora and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern is necessary for formulating a rational antibiotic policy in an ICU. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, 2000 Mar, 7(2), 293 - 5 Antibody response to lipopolysaccharide in patients colonized or infected with an endemic strain of Acinetobacter genomic species 13 sensu Tjernberg and Ursing; Pantophlet R et al.; The levels of antilipopolysaccharide (anti-LPS) antibodies in patients colonized with an endemic Acinetobacter strain were compared to those in patients with bloodstream infections . Seropositivity and seronegativity correlated with positive and negative blood cultures, respectively, indicating that determination of the level of anti-LPS antibodies is useful for diagnosing Acinetobacter infections. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol, 1999 Dec, 21(10), 653 - 7 Effect of amikacin on cytotoxic activity and hydrophobicity of Acinetobacter baumannii; Hostacka A et al.; Effect of amikacin at suprainhibitory (2 or 4 x MIC) or supra-subinhibitory concentrations (2 or 4 x MIC + 0.2 x MIC) on bacterial growth, cytotoxicity and cell surface hydrophobicity of three Acinetobacter baumannii strains was studied . Amikacin at suprainhibitory concentrations induced postantibiotic effects (PAEs; suppression of bacterial growth after short time exposure of bacteria to the antibiotic) against all A . baumannii strains . PAEs ranged from 1.2 to 2.9 h (2 x MIC) and 3.5 to 6.3 h (4 x MIC) . Supra-subinhibitory concentrations of amikacin (2 x MIC + 0.2 x MIC) manifested a more significant delay of bacterial regrowth (PA SMEs) for two strains (6.6 or 7.5 h) in comparison with PAEs . One strain under these conditions as well as all strains treated with amikacin at 4 x MIC + 0.2 x MIC did not show any regrowth . Amikacin at all concentrations tested significantly reduced cytotoxic activity of A . baumannii evaluated on alveolar epithelial type II cells . Survival of type II cells after application of antibiotic-treated A . baumannii was in the range of 88 to 101% of the control cells . Cell surface hydrophobicity of amikacin-treated bacteria was practically unchanged varying between 94 and 100.9% as compared to the controls. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2000 Mar, 66(3), 1237 - 42 Transformation of Acinetobacter sp . strain BD413(pFG4DeltanptII) with transgenic plant DNA in soil microcosms and effects of kanamycin on selection of transformants; Nielsen KM et al.; Here we show that horizontal transfer of DNA, extracted from transgenic sugar beets, to bacteria, based on homologous recombination, can occur in soil . Restoration of a 317-bp-deleted nptII gene in Acinetobacter sp . strain BD413(pFG4) cells incubated in sterile soil microcosms was detected after addition of nutrients and transgenic plant DNA encoding a functional nptII gene conferring bacterial kanamycin resistance . Selective effects of the addition of kanamycin on the population dynamics of Acinetobacter sp . cells in soil were found, and high concentrations of kanamycin reduced the CFU of Acinetobacter sp . cells from 10(9) CFU/g of soil to below detection . In contrast to a chromosomal nptII-encoded kanamycin resistance, the pFG4-generated resistance was found to be unstable over a 31-day incubation period in vitro. Infection, 2000 Jan-Feb, 28(1), 8 - 12 Mixed infection in adult bacterial meningitis; Chang WN et al.; 12 adult patients suffering from bacterial meningitis caused by mixed infection were identified at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital over a period of 13 years (1986-1998), and they accounted for 6.5% (12/184) of our culture-proven adult bacterial meningitis . The 12 cases included seven males and five females, aged 17-74 years . Six of the 12 cases had community-acquired infections and the other six had nosocomially-acquired infections . Ten of the 12 cases had associated underlying diseases, with head trauma and/or neurosurgical procedure being the most frequent . Both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens were identified in these 12 cases with gram-negative pathogens outnumbering the gram-positive ones . The implicated pathogens, starting with the most frequent, included Enterobacter species (Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes), Klebsiella species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca), Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus species (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter diversus, Proteus mirabilis, Streptococcus viridans and Neisseria meningitidis . Six of the 12 cases were found to have multi-antibiotic-resistant strains, which included E . cloacae in one, A . baumannii in one, K . pneumoniae in one and S . aureus in three . The management of these 12 cases included appropriate antibiotics and neurosurgical procedures including shunt revision . Despite the complexity of implicated pathogens and the high incidence of emergence of resistant strains, the overall mortality rate (8.3%, 1/12) was not higher than that in adult bacterial meningitis . However, complete recuperation was difficult in adult patients with mixed bacterial meningitis. Can J Microbiol, 1999 Dec, 45(12), 995 - 1000 Removal of silver from photographic wastewater effluent using Acinetobacter baumannii BL54; Shakibaie MR et al.; Acinetobacter baumannii BL54, a silver (Ag) resistant micro-organism was isolated from clinical samples collected at the Armed Forces Medical College hospital in Pune, India . The strain BL54 removed a high quantity of silver (2.85 mg/g biomass) from photographic wastewater effluent . Treatment of the cells with 10 mM EDTA or agitating the culture did not affect the removal process, while altering pH of the wastewater or pre-treating the cells with 0.5 mM 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), 20 microM N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), 25 micrograms/mL cefotaxime, and polymyxin-B resulted in considerable decrease in removal of silver by the organism . Dead cells, or a Ags plasmid-cured derivative (BL54.1) removed little silver, which was mainly surface bound . The results, compared with accumulation of Ag by a sensitive culture of Escherichia coli K12 J53.2, suggest that A . baumannii BL54 has good potential for bioremediation of silver from photographic wastewater effluents. J Clin Microbiol, 2000 Mar, 38(3), 1127 - 30 Evaluation of autoSCAN-W/A and the Vitek GNI+ AutoMicrobic system for identification of non-glucose-fermenting gram-negative bacilli; Sung LL et al.; The autoSCAN-W/A (W/A; Dade Behring Microscan Inc., West Sacramento, Calif.) and Vitek AutoMicrobic System (Vitek AMS; bioMerieux Vitek Systems, Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) are both fully automated microbiology systems . We evaluated the accuracy of these two systems in identifying nonglucose-fermenting gram-negative bacilli . We used the W/A with conventional-panel Neg Combo type 12 and Vitek GNI+ identification systems . A total of 301 isolates from 25 different species were tested . Of these, 299 isolates were identified in the databases of both systems . The conventional biochemical methods were used for reference . The W/A correctly identified 215 isolates (71 . 4%) to the species level at initial testing with a high probability of >/=85% . The Vitek GNI+ correctly identified 216 isolates (71.8%) to the species level at initial testing with a high probability of >/=90% . After additional testing that was recommended by the manufacturer's protocol, the correct identifications of the W/A and Vitek GNI+ improved to 96.0 and 92.3%, respectively . The major misidentified species were Sphingomonas paucimobilis and Agrobacterium radiobacter in the W/A system and Acinetobacter lwoffii, Chryseobacterium indologenes, and Comamonas acidovorans in the Vitek GNI+ system . The error rates were 4.0 and 7.6%, respectively . The overall accuracy for both systems was above 90% if the supplemental tests were applied . There was no significant difference in accuracy (P > 0.05) between the two systems. J Clin Microbiol, 2000 Mar, 38(3), 1036 - 41 Failure of an automated blood culture system to detect nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria; Klaerner HG et al.; During a 1-year study we observed that both aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles from patients were negative by the BacT/Alert system during a 7-day incubation period . However, upon subcultivation of negative bottles, growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detectable . In an attempt to explain this observation, aerobic BacT/Alert Fan bottles were seeded with a defined inoculum (0.5 McFarland standard; 1 ml) of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, P . aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, or Acinetobacter baumannii . Half of the inoculated bottles were loaded into the BacT/Alert system immediately, and the remainder were preincubated for 4, 8, 16, and 24 h at 36 degrees C . With preincubation all bottles seeded with the Enterobacteriaceae signaled positive during the next 1.5 h . Organisms in bottles seeded with the nonfermentative species P . aeruginosa and A . baumannii remained undetected by the BacT/Alert system for 7 days . S . maltophilia was detected if the preincubation time was equal or less than 8 h . Without preincubation all bottles seeded with the Enterobacteriaceae or nonfermentative species signaled positive . Since nonfermentative species seem to enter a state of bacteriostasis within the preincubation period, we reasoned that an unknown factor is consumed . Accordingly, a smaller inoculum should allow the detection of nonfermentative species, even after preincubation, and serial dilutions of P . aeruginosa were detected in preincubated bottles . In this case preincubated bottles signaled positive faster than bottles without preincubation . We conclude that all bottles from clinical settings should be subcultured prior to loading to avoid false negatives . An alternative may be preincubation at room temperature. IUBMB Life, 1999 Sep, 48(3), 339 - 43 Biochemical properties of the protein tyrosine kinase of the bacterium Acinetobacter johnsonii; Grangeasse C et al.; The biochemical properties of the autophosphorylating protein tyrosine kinase of Acinetobacter johnsonii were analyzed in vitro . The study shows that the optimal pH value for the phosphorylation reaction is approximately 7 . The enzyme activity is stimulated by magnesium and, to a lesser extent, by manganese ions, whereas calcium ions have no effect . The phosphorylation process is rapid reaching a maximum in < 2 min, and the enzyme is modified at multiple sites . Interestingly, the bacterial enzyme is insensitive to a series of molecules known to affect the activity of eukaryotic protein tyrosine kinases: genistein, quercetin, tosyllysine chloromethyl ketone, and vanadate . We concluded that, even though the overall phosphorylation reaction catalyzed by the A . johnsonii enzyme is identical to that occurring in eukaryotes, this bacterial kinase exhibits a number of specific properties and therefore probably belongs to a separate group in the general family of protein tyrosine kinases. J Spinal Cord Med, 1999 Fall, 22(3), 192 - 8 Effect of oral ciprofloxacin on bacterial flora of perineum, urethra, and lower urinary tract in men with spinal cord injury; Waites KB et al.; A study was performed in 25 men with spinal cord injuries undergoing intermittent catheterization whose urine had > or = 10(5) bacterial colonies/ml to determine efficacy of ciprofloxacin in eradicating susceptible organisms from urine, urethra, and perineum . Cultures were obtained prior to, during, and 5 to 7 days after administration of 500 mg twice daily for 10 days . Organisms in urine were also present in the urethra and/or perineum in 20 cases . Susceptible bacteria disappeared from urine in all subjects; but at follow-up 12 had cultures positive for ciprofloxacin-resistant Gram-positive cocci, including 1 with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and 2 with ciprofloxacin-resistant Acinetobacter sp . Treatment significantly reduced Gram-negative bacilli in perinea and urethras, but ciprofloxacin-susceptible organisms were replaced by resistant staphylococci, including MRSA, enterococci, and Acinetobacter sp . We support use of ciprofloxacin for treatment of urinary tract infections in persons with spinal cord injury, but in view of supercolonization with resistant organisms, the drug should be reserved for symptomatic persons not likely to respond to other oral agents. Hunan Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao, 1998, 23(5), 453 - 7 {A prospective study on etiologic bacteria in 200 patients with pneumonia}; Luo B et al.; The etiologic agents in 200 patients with pneumonia were studied by the bacterial culture of sputums obtained from the protected single catheter brush or quantitative expectoration at one morning or three-morning expectoration . Two hundred patients were divided into 3 groups . Group 1 was Nosocomial pneumonia (NP patients) . Group 2-1 and Group 2-2 were community acquired pneumonia (CAP patients) . All cases in Group 1 and Group 2-2 suffered from significant underlying diseases while Group 2-1 did not . Gram-negative bacilli(GNB) were isolated from the specimens in Group 1 (87%) and Group 2-2 (75%), respectively . Pseudomonas (30.8%) and klebsiella (20.5%) were the predominant bacteria (in Group 1 and pseudomonas bacteria) in Group 1 and pseudomonas (27.3%), acinetobacter (23%) and kledsiella (18%) were the major etiologic agents in Group 2-2 . The commonest pathogens in Group 2-1 were gram-positive cocci (75%), in which streptococcus (38%) and staphylococcus aureus (25%) were the dominant agents . Compared with Group 2, Group 1 suffered from more mixed bacteria and the agents presented severer drug-resistant . The prognosis was worse in Group 2-2 than in Group 2-1 . The results showed that the GNB pneumonia was more common in the cases who had underlying disease, no matter whether the pneumonia was NP or CAP . These patients had more trouble on their antibiotic therapy . Thus it is important that doctors should use vigorous antibiotics timely while treating these patients' underying diseases. Indian J Med Res, 1999 Nov, 110, 160 - 3 Biotyping of Acinetobacter species isolated from clinical samples; Gulati S et al.; We used the biotyping scheme using carbohydrate substrate utilization test with 14 carbon sources to speciate Acinetobacter isolates from blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures of patients admitted to the postoperative neurosurgery ICU during January to November 1996 . Sixty one patients culture positive for Acinetobacter sp . from blood or cerebrospinal fluid were followed up prospectively . Among these patients, 40 patients had clinically diagnosed infections like bacteriemia or meningitis while in 21 patients the isolation was regarded as contaminants . A . baumanniii was the most common isolate associated with clinical infections while A . lwoffii was more likely to be an environmental contaminant. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1999 Sep 15, 178(2), 259 - 64 An investigation into the electro-physical characteristics of microbial cells during the metabolism of toxic compounds under conditions of limited O2 availability; Ignatov OV et al.; The purpose of the work reported here was to experimentally clarify the interconnection between changes in the electro-physical characteristics of microbial suspensions and processes of the metabolism of certain toxic compounds (acrylamide and p-nitrophenol (PNP)) in cells containing enzyme systems of the initial metabolism of these compounds . In this work, we used cells of two strains, Acinetobacter calcoaceticum A-122 and Brevibacterium sp . 13PA, which are capable of utilising PNP and acrylamide, respectively, as the sole source of carbon . Suspensions of these cells exhibited appreciable decreases in the magnitude of the electro-optical signal when the microbial metabolism of PNP and acrylamide was inhibited under conditions of limited O2 supply . This attests to a relationship between the electro-physical characteristics of microbial suspensions and cellular metabolic reactions and also to the negligibly small effect that the non-specific interaction of substrate with the cells has on the suspensions' electro-optical properties. J Bacteriol, 2000 Mar, 182(5), 1383 - 9 Substrate range and genetic analysis of Acinetobacter vanillate demethylase; Morawski B et al.; An Acinetobacter sp . genetic screen was used to probe structure-function relationships in vanillate demethylase, a two-component monooxygenase . Mutants with null, leaky, and heat-sensitive phenotypes were isolated . Missense mutations tended to be clustered in specific regions, most of which make known contributions to catalytic activity . The vanillate analogs m-anisate, m-toluate, and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylbenzoate are substrates of the enzyme and weakly inhibit the metabolism of vanillate by wild-type Acinetobacter bacteria . PCR mutagenesis of vanAB, followed by selection for strains unable to metabolize vanillate, yielded mutant organisms in which vanillate metabolism is more strongly inhibited by the vanillate analogs . Thus, the procedure opens for investigation amino acid residues that may contribute to the binding of either vanillate or its chemical analogs to wild-type and mutant vanillate demethylases . Selection of phenotypic revertants following PCR mutagenesis gave an indication of the extent to which amino acid substitutions can be tolerated at specified positions . In some cases, only true reversion to the original amino acid was observed . In other examples, a range of amino acid substitutions was tolerated . In one instance, phenotypic reversion failed to produce a protein with the original wild-type sequence . In this example, constraints favoring certain nucleotide substitutions appear to be imposed at the DNA level. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 325 - 31 In vitro evaluation of cefepime and other broad-spectrum beta-lactams in eight medical centers in Thailand . The Thailand Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Biedenbach DJ et al.; The introduction of cephalosporins has had an important impact on the resistance rates to several clinically utilized beta-lactam antimicrobial agents . Most Thailand medical centers have not documented the levels of emerging resistant pathogens causing invasive infections . This study shows using reference-quality MIC techniques (Etest, AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden), that carbapenem), "fourth-generation" cephalosporins (cefepime and cefpirome), and piperacillin/tazobactam were the most active agents tested against Gram-negative bacilli (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Serratia spp., indole-positive Proteae, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus spp . when compared to "third-generation" cephalosporins (ceftazidime and ceftriaxone) . The rank order of activity for all species was imipenem (2.9% resistant) > cefepime (7.7%) > piperacillin/tazobactam (11.1%) > cefpirome (13.4%) > ceftriaxone (21.1%) > ceftazidime (29.9%) . The incidence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase production among E . coli (15.7%) and K . pneumoniae (45.6%) was significant . Cefepime and imipenem were active against the majority of these isolates . The activity of cefepime was also shown to be very good against, 1) organisms capable of producing AmpC enzymes, 2) staphylococci species that were susceptible to oxacillin, and 3) many strains of nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli . The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Thailand seems to be quite high among certain commonly encountered pathogens, and imipenem and cefepime have activity (susceptible and intermediate potency) against > 90% of these organisms. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 317 - 23 In vitro evaluation of broad-spectrum beta-lactams tested in medical centers in Korea: role of fourth-generation cephalosporins . The Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Lewis MT et al.; Levels of resistance to the "third-generation" cephalosporins among isolates of clinical bacteria in Korea have been increasing at a rapid rate . This study evaluated the activity of cefepime, a "fourth-generation" cephalosporin, and six other broad-spectrum beta-lactam antimicrobials (cefpirome, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam 4 micrograms/mL fixed concentration{, oxacillin) against 404 isolates of clinical bacteria from Korea . Susceptibility profiles of each isolate were established using the Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) method of susceptibility testing . Only the carbapenem imipenem was > 90% effective in inhibiting each of the species tested (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, spp., Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter spp., indole-positive Proteae, Serratia spp., Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci) . Imipenem was followed by cefepime > cefpirome > piperacillin/tazobactam > ceftazidime > ceftriaxone in overall rank order of usable spectrum against the isolates tested . Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing phenotypes were much more prevalent among the Klebsiella spp . (48.8%) than the E . coli (5.0%) isolates . Cefepime was much more active than cefpirome, 95.1% susceptible as compared with 70.7% susceptible, against the 41 isolates of Klebsiella spp . The results of this study corroborates findings from earlier studies with levels of resistance to the broad-spectrum beta-lactams in Korea continuing to rise indicating the need for intervention strategies. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 307 - 15 In vitro evaluation of cefepime and other broad-spectrum beta-lactams in 22 medical centers in Japan: a phase II trial comparing two annual organism samples . The Japan Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Lewis MT et al.; An antimicrobial resistance surveillance study in Japan is presented representing the second year (Phase II) results from 22 medical centers . Each participant laboratory tested (Etest, AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) 100 organisms, 10 strains each from 10 species groups including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., indole-positive Proteae, Serratia spp., Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci . Generally only modest variations in the activity of the studied broad-spectrum beta-lactams was observed compared to the study a year before . Specifically, extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) rates in E . coli increased (2.9 to 8.1%), but the ESBL rate in Klebsiella spp . fell (8.6 to 5.0%) . Overall the resistance to the beta-lactams varied from a 4.7% decrease (ceftazidime as a consequence of a modified staphylococcal breakpoint criteria) to a 1.0% increase (cefepime, not significant) . The rank order of spectrums in 1998 only changed for cefoperazone-sulbactam (6.1% resistance) that was active against more strains than cefpirome (6.8% resistance) . The overall spectrum rank order for the 1998 Japan sample (% resistance) was: cefepime (3.2%) > imipenem (4.1%) > cefoperazone-sulbactam (6.1%) > cefpirome (6.8%) > ceftazidime (8.4%) > piperacillin (19.9%) . As with a similar study in 1997, imipenem-resistant isolates of P . aeruginosa and Serratia spp . were discovered with metalloenzymes, usually found in the same medical centers . These results demonstrate the continued in vitro activity and potential sustained clinical efficacy of several broad-spectrum beta-lactams in Japan . Rapid emergence of new or novel resistance were not wide spread using a precise quantitative MIC system . Continued surveillance in this nation would be prudent to document the activity of this clinically valuable class of safe, antimicrobial agents. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 299 - 305 In vitro evaluation of cefepime and other broad-spectrum beta-lactams in Taiwan medical centers . The Taiwan Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Biedenbach DJ et al.; The rates of resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents have been documented to be at alarmingly high levels in Taiwan for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species . This study was conducted to assess the current resistance patterns in six medical centers strictly controlled using a common MIC methodology and quality assurance measures . Cefepime, a new clinically introduced broad-spectrum "fourth-generation" cephalosporin, was compared to other members in this class including ceftazidime, cefpirome, ceftriaxone, piperacillin/tazobactam, and imipenem . These antimicrobials were tested against ten species groups of common clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, non-enteric Gram-negative bacilli, and oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus spp . The results confirmed that extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production in Klebsiella spp . (21.7%) and Escherichia coli (16.7%) was common in all medical centers surveyed . Cefepime was more active against these two species as well as against Amp C producing species, indole-positive Proteae, and Acinetobacter species . The activity of cefepime was comparable although slightly less than that of ceftazidime against Serratia spp . and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains . All or nearly all staphylococci isolates were susceptible to the beta-lactam antimicrobial agents, except for ceftazidime . Overall, these antimicrobial agents had descending spectrums of activity as follows: imipenem > cefepime > cefpirome > piperacillin/tazobactam > ceftazidime > ceftriaxone for the 550 isolates tested . Cefepime seems to be an important broad-spectrum beta-lactam that can be used with confidence against many important pathogens in Taiwan, including those harboring resistance mechanisms . A continued surveillance program seems prudent for this geographic area. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 291 - 7 In vitro evaluation of broad-spectrum beta-lactams in the philippines medical centers: role of fourth-generation cephalosporins . The Philippines Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Johnson DM et al.; Cefepime is a potent broad-spectrum "fourth-generation" cephalosporin . The in vitro activity of cefepime was compared to that of cefpirome, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam in a multilaboratory (nine medical centers) Philippine surveillance project from March through October 1998 . A total of 626 Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms (10 species groups) were tested by the Etest method (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) with results validated by current quality control strain analysis . The overall rank order of usable spectrum of activity was imipenem (4.2% resistance), cefepime (4.5%), cefpirome (5.0%), piperacillin/tazobactam (5.8%) > ceftriaxone (11.2%) > ceftazidime (15.3%), and results did not differ significantly between medical centers . Ceftazidime-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp . occurred at rates of 13.3% and 31.1%, respectively, indicating extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) activity . Imipenem (100% susceptible), cefepime, and cefpirome (both > or = 97.8% susceptible) were active in vitro against these ESBL phenotypes . Organisms with ceftazidime and/or ceftriaxone-resistant profiles consistent for hyper-production of Amp C cephalosporinases were detected at high rates among the Citrobacter spp . (29.2%) and Enterobacter spp . (45.8%); however, imipenem (100.0% susceptible) and cefepime (98.9%) remained active . Cefepime and imipenem (both 87.5% susceptible) were the most active agents tested against Acinetobacter spp . whereas piperacillin/tazobactam was most effective against P . aeruginosa (80.0% susceptible) . Most tested beta-lactams (except ceftazidime) were active versus oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci . These data should be used as a guide for treatment selection with beta-lactam compounds in the Philippines and to serve as a resistance benchmark in comparisons with future studies in this nation. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 285 - 90 In vitro evaluation of cefepime and other broad-spectrum beta-lactams against bacteria from Indonesian medical centers . The Indonesia Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Lewis MT et al.; The in vitro activity of cefepime and six other broad-spectrum beta-lactams (cefpirome, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam (4 micrograms/mL fixed concentration), and oxacillin was evaluated against 191 isolates of clinical bacteria from Indonesia . Susceptibility testing was performed using Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) methodology . Isolates from 10 species groups were selected for analysis: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., indole-positive Proteae, Serratia spp., Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci . The overall rank order of spectrum of activity was (% resistant): imipenem (2.2%) > cefepime (7.3%) > piperacillin/tazobactam > cefpirome > ceftazidime > ceftriaxone (16.2%) . The "fourth-generation" cephalosporins, cefepime and cefpirome, displayed greater activity compared with the "third-generation" cephalosporins, ceftazidime, and ceftriaxone, against the 60 E . coli and Klebsiella spp . (30 each) isolates . Phenotypic extended spectrum beta-lactamase occurrence rates among the E . coli and Klebsiella spp . were 23.3 and 33.3%, respectively . Imipenem, cefepime, and cefpirome inhibited 95.7% of the 46 isolates of inducible Amp C cephalosporinase producing Enterobacteriaceae . The majority of the resistance observed to imipenem and cefepime among tested Indoneisian strains was attributable to the nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli, P . aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp . These results indicate the presence of beta-lactam resistance in Indonesia and the need for continued antimicrobial surveillance in this nation and region of the world, preferably using accurate quantitative methods. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1999 Dec, 35(4), 277 - 83 In vitro evaluation of cefepime and other broad-spectrum beta-lactams for isolates in Malaysia and Singapore medical centers . The Malaysia/Singapore Antimicrobial Resistance Study Group; Biedenbach DJ et al.; The degree of activity of several beta-lactam antimicrobial agents was assessed in Malaysia (four medical centers) and Singapore (two medical centers) tested against 570 clinical isolates . The organisms were tested locally by the Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) method, validated by concurrent use of quality assurance strains (94.1% accurate performance overall) . Ten groups of bacteria were tested against cefepime, cefpirome, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, piperacillin/tazobactam, oxacillin, and imipenem . Among the tested Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., the occurrence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing phenotypes was 5.6-7.0% and 36.7-38.0%, respectively . These strains remained most susceptible (97.5-100.0%) to cefepime and imipenem . Ceftazidime-resistant Enterobacter spp . (21.4% resistant), Citrobacter spp . (15.0%), indole-positive Proteus spp . (6.0%), and Serratia spp . (9.7%) were not resistant to cefepime, and only one strain was resistant to imipenem . Imipenem was generally most potent against non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli such as Acinetobacter spp . and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . All tested beta-lactams were active against the oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci, except ceftazidime (MIC90, 12 micrograms/mL; 63.2-84.8% susceptibility rates) . Overall spectrums of activity (rank by % resistance) favored imipenem (3.5%) > cefepime (7.7%) > cefpirome (8.9%) > piperacillin/tazobactam (13.2%) > ceftriaxone (14.7%) > ceftazidime (16.9%) . No significant differences in resistance patterns were noted between monitored nations, and these results indicate emerging, elevated rates of resistance versus the studied broad-spectrum beta-lactams in Malaysia and Singapore . Results provide benchmark data for future studies using quantitative methods to determine antimicrobial resistance in these geographic areas. Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1999, 44(3), 267 - 70 Alterations in surface hydrophobicity of Acinetobacter baumannii induced by meropenem; Hostacka A; Six strains of Acinetobacter baumannii out of eleven strains tested revealed a strong hydrophobic character . This was demonstrated by adherence of bacteria to xylene in the range of 90-94% . Changes in surface hydrophobicity of these strains were studied after treatment with meropenem at subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) (1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32 of the MICs) . All strains showed a reduced adherence to xylene after the action of meropenem at 1/4 or 1/16 of the MICs . Hydrophobicity of the treated bacteria was decreased to 1.3-70% (1/16 of the MICs) or to 12-86% (1/4 of the MICs), depending on the strain . A decrease in surface hydrophobicity of three strains was also observed after their exposure to meropenem at 1/8 of the MICs (to 18-71% of the control values) . Meropenem at 1/32 of the MICs practically did not affect bacterial hydrophobic properties, with the exception of one strain. APMIS, 1999 Dec, 107(12), 1079 - 84 The discriminatory power of ribo-PCR compared to conventional ribotyping for epidemiological purposes; Severino P et al.; Molecular typing techniques have become increasingly important for confirmation of epidemiological relationships and delimitation of nosocomial outbreaks . The discriminatory power of the two DNA-based typing methods, conventional ribotyping and ribo-PCR, was assessed to distinguish between selected strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Overall, conventional ribotyping was more discriminatory than ribo-PCR. J Hosp Infect, 1999 Dec, 43(4), 299 - 304 An outbreak of neonatal infection with Acinetobacter linked to contaminated suction catheters; Pillay T et al.; An outbreak of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter spp . infection in the neonatal unit at King Edward VIII hospital in Durban, South Africa, is described . Nine out of a total of 218 neonates were infected during the study period . The outbreak was characterized by early onset infection {median postnatal age 3 days (range 1-23 days)} in pre-term babies {median gestational age 33 weeks (range 30-35 weeks)} with an attributable mortality of 22% . The source of the outbreak, determined by ribotyping, was presumed to be contaminated suction bottles and catheters in the neonatal admission room . Five neonates were successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and amikacin . Enforcement of strict infection control practices curtailed the outbreak. J Clin Microbiol, 2000 Feb, 38(2), 526 - 9 Detection of carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii in a hospital; Takahashi A et al.; Acinetobacter baumannii strains resistant to both imipenem (IPM) and ceftazidime (CAZ) were isolated from 1994 through 1996 at Gunma University Hospital . Nine isolates from different inpatients were examined for carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity and for the carbapemase gene bla(IMP) by the PCR method . All nine isolates were carbapenemase-producing strains that hydrolyzed IPM and that harbored bla(IMP) . The bla(IMP) gene was transmissible by conjugation to an IPM-susceptible recipient strain of A . baumannii and conferred resistance to IPM, CAZ, cefotaxime (CTX), ampicillin (AMP), and piperacillin (PIP) . Either intermediate or high-level resistance to amikacin (AMK) was transferred from two and five strains, respectively, concomitantly with bla(IMP), and gentamicin (GEN) resistance was also transferred in one instance of high-level AMK resistance . Comparative examination of clinical isolates for resistance patterns to nine drugs, IPM, CAZ, CTX, aztreonam, AMP, PIP, AMK, GEN, and norfloxacin, in addition to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns with NotI-digested genomic DNA, confirmed nosocomial transmission of infections involving carbapenemase-producing A . baumannii strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000 Feb, 44(2), 428 - 32 Cloning, nucleotide sequencing, and analysis of the gene encoding an AmpC beta-lactamase in Acinetobacter baumannii; Bou G et al.; A clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii (strain Ab RYC 52763/97) that was isolated during an outbreak in our hospital and that was resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics tested produced three beta-lactamases: a TEM-1-type (pI, 5.4) plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase, a chromosomally mediated OXA-derived (pI, 9.0) beta-lactamase, and a presumptive chromosomal cephalosporinase (pI, 9.4) . The nucleotide sequence of the chromosomal cephalosporinase gene shows for the first time the gene encoding an AmpC beta-lactamase in A . baumannii . In addition, we report here the biochemical properties of this A . baumannii AmpC beta-lactamase. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 1999 Nov, 63(11), 1959 - 64 Purification and characterization of a novel extracellular lipase catalyzing hydrolysis of oleyl benzoate from Acinetobacter nov . sp . strain KM109; Mitsuhashi K et al.; A new lipase (OBase) which efficiently hydrolyzes oleyl benzoate (OB) was found in the culture supernatant of Acinetobacter nov . sp . strain KM109, a new isolate growing in a minimum medium containing OB as the sole carbon source . OBase was purified to homogeneity with 213-fold purification and 0.8% yield . The molecular weight was estimated to be 62,000 +/- 1,000 by SDS-PAGE under denatured-reduced conditions and to be 50,000 +/- 1,000 by gel-filtration HPLC under native conditions; these findings indicate that OBase is a monomeric enzyme . The optimum temperature and pH of OBase were about 45 degrees C and pH 8 . Temperature and pH stabilities were at or lower than 35 degrees C and in a range of pH 6-8, respectively . Purified OBase preferentially hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl benzoate (pNPB) over p-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA) or p-nitrophenyl caproate (pNPC) {pNPB/pNPA = 20 and pNPB/pNPC = 5.4}, indicating that OBase has a high affinity for benzoyl esters . Partial amino-acid sequences of OBase fragments obtained after lysyl endopeptidase treatment showed no similarity with known proteins. Sci Total Environ, 1999 Dec 15, 243-244, 1 - 8 Interactive effects of selenium and mercury on the restoration potential of leaves of the medicinal plant, Portulaca oleracea Linn; Thangavel P et al.; Leaves of Portulaca oleracea have the potential of regeneration, when grown in a distilled water medium . The two heavy metals, Se and Hg individually and in combination affected both shoot and root development . They completely arrested shoot development at all concentrations . However, they produced concentration-dependent changes in the development of roots, which ranged from their complete inhibition to variation in their initiation time, number and length . Leaf decay was initiated on day 46 in control leaves . Concentration-dependent changes were also observed in the time of initiation and magnitude of decay of leaves . The data indicates that Hg was more toxic than Se . The protective effect of Se against Hg toxicity was evident only at very low concentrations . With further increases in the concentration of both Se and Hg, the protective effect decreased and simultaneously the toxicity increased . Following the decay of leaves, a pink colour development was observed only on leaves exposed to Se . Microbial analysis of leaves showed the presence of Acinetobacter only in Se-exposed leaves . Acinetobacter was therefore considered as probably involved in the formation of elemental Se, which produced a pink colour. J Hosp Infect, 2000 Jan, 44(1), 27 - 30 Aerators as a reservoir of Acinetobacter junii: an outbreak of bacteraemia in paediatric oncology patients; Kappstein I et al.; Tap water can play a role as a source of nosocomial pathogens, and faucet aerators have occasionally been mentioned in the literature associated with colonization or infection in hospitalized patients . In this study, we report on outbreak of bacteraemia in paediatric oncology patients caused by Acinetobacter junii . Environmental sampling showed the water system to be contaminated with A . junii . Molecular typing using automatic laser fluorescence analysis of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-ALFA) revealed two distinct strains . The outbreak strain, isolated from blood cultures of the affected children, was only found in the water taps of staff rooms . Aerators were commonly found to be contaminated, and more so than water obtained after removal of these devices . We believe that conventional aerators consisting of several wire meshes can serve as a reservoir for low levels of bacteria present i